Written Answers

Monday 11 December 2000

Scottish Executive

Autism

Fiona Hyslop (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive which local authorities fund intensive home therapy programmes for autistic children.

Malcolm Chisholm: This information is not held centrally.

Central Heating

Mr Jamie Stone (Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether its central heating for pensioners programme is on target to commence in April 2001.

Jackie Baillie: Yes. As things currently stand, we are on target to meet the scheme’s start date of April 2001.

Children

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-10326 by Mr Sam Galbraith on 26 October 2000, over what timescale and by what means it intends to (a) monitor the implementation of the Child Strategy Statement by local authorities and other public bodies and (b) evaluate the effectiveness of the strategy statement in this context.

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-10326 on 26 October 2000, over what timescale and by what means it intends to (a) monitor the implementation of the Child Strategy Statement by all departments of the Scottish Executive and (b) evaluate the effectiveness of the strategy statement in this context.

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-10326 by Mr Sam Galbraith on 26 October 2000, what penalties there will be for failure by any local authority, public body or Scottish Executive department to adopt the principles set out in the Child Strategy Statement.

Nicol Stephen: The Child Strategy Statement is primarily a document for the Scottish Executive. Its effectiveness in that context will be monitored by the Scottish Executive Education Department who will report to me. This will include monitoring of Scottish Cabinet papers and in-depth studies of particular policy areas.

  We have commended the approach set out in the statement to local authorities and a range of other public bodies. We have no plans formally to police its use but we do expect it to lead to better outcomes for children.

Drug Education

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the use of abuse prevention programmes in schools forms part of the criteria by which a school is assessed by Her Majesty’s Inspectors of Schools and, if not, what plans it has to include such a criterion for future assessment.

Mr Jack McConnell: In evaluating schools’ arrangements for the care and welfare of pupils and for programmes of personal and social education, HMI consider a number of aspects of abuse prevention covering child protection issues, drug misuse and, more generally, health education.

Employment

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-10882 by Ms Wendy Alexander on 16 November 2000, whether it has obtained assurances that jobs at Burtons Biscuits are secure given the intention of Hicks, Muse, Tate and Furst to rationalise production across various sites and what its understanding is of the term "rationalise" in this particular context.

Ms Wendy Alexander: The Scottish Executive understands that the company is continuing to consider its future business strategy following the takeover.

Environment

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how the additional £50 million allocated for flood prevention, coastal protection, access to the countryside, air quality and to deal with waste and contaminated land will be allocated to each of these issues, broken down by local authority.

Mr Sam Galbraith: The increased local authority resources for the environment, announced by Sarah Boyack on 22 September, comprised £20.4 million for capital expenditure on flood prevention and coast protection, air quality monitoring and contaminated land, and £29.2 million for revenue expenditure on access to the countryside and waste.

  Revenue resources will be distributed through the local government finance settlement. Additional resources for contaminated land will be distributed as part of the section 94 capital consent allocations issued to local authorities. However, it is a matter for local authorities to determine their spending priorities and allocate resources accordingly.

  It will be for authorities to submit suitable schemes to take up the additional capital resources available for flood prevention and coast protection and air quality monitoring.

  Therefore, it is not possible to state, at present, how the additional resources would be allocated to these issues by individual authorities.

Fostering

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it intends to amend Regulation 12 of the Fostering of Children (Scotland) Regulations 1996.

Nicol Stephen: There are no plans at present to amend this Regulation.

Health

Kay Ullrich (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what programmes or initiatives are currently in place to examine the causes of, and find a cure for, endometriosis.

Susan Deacon: The Chief Scientist Office (CSO) within the Scottish Executive Health Department is currently funding two research projects on endometriosis with a total value of £201,000 . One project examines the possible genetic cause and the other compares the acceptability to patients of two different ways of administering treatment.

  CSO is aware of a further 45 ongoing or recently completed projects on endometriosis in the UK, four of which are in Scotland. CSO provides support funding for one of the four Scottish studies. Details of these projects are available from the National Research Register, a copy of which is in the Parliament’s Reference Centre.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive why the Scottish Health Plan has to be "Milburn plan proofed" as stated in section 18 of The Scottish Health Plan - An introductory briefing.

Susan Deacon: In developing the Scottish Health Plan, six national network groups were asked, among other things ,  to evaluate the UK Government’s NHS Plan and determine the relevance of the proposals for Scotland. This is the meaning of the shorthand expression quoted from one of the working papers.

  The UK Government and the Scottish Executive share a determination to modernise the NHS through investment and reform. We also share a commitment to ensure that the NHS responds effectively to meet different needs in different parts of the UK within the context of our devolved constitutional arrangements.

Health

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will conduct an epidemiological survey into the extent of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Susan Deacon: The Executive has no plans to conduct an epidemiological survey. There is at present no independently validated diagnostic test for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and, without such a test, the value of an epidemiological survey would be doubtful.

Leylandii Hedges

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to recommend that high hedges such as leylandii are included in future legislation controlling planning regulations.

Mr Jim Wallace: The subject of high hedges is currently under consideration by the Executive. A consultation paper was issued on 12 January 2000, seeking views on the extent of problems they cause; and on whether existing remedies are sufficient to deal with any problems experienced, or whether additional measures should be considered. Responses to the consultation are currently being evaluated so that the Executive can consider what action, if any, may be appropriate.

NHS Funding

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects each health board to receive any remaining additional funding earmarked by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the last UK Budget.

Susan Deacon: £173 million was added to this year’s Scottish Health budget following the UK budget. In line with my statement to Parliament on 22 March, the Executive has sought to target this investment to areas of greatest need and in ways which will deliver significant improvements to patient care. £60 million was allocated to health boards (on a formula basis) in June to address priority areas such as reducing waiting, tackling delayed discharge and preparing for winter. As I announced on 21 September, a further £12 million is being allocated to health boards to kick-start the implementation of the revised funding formula recommended by the Arbuthnott report.

  The remainder of these resources have been targeted to specific priority areas and have, where appropriate, been channelled through health boards. For example, £26 million has been earmarked for health improvement, £30 million for equipment and £8.4 million for additional staff.

  Throughout we have sought to strike a balance between effective strategic planning at a national level while allowing scope for health boards and NHS Trusts to address local needs and priorities.

NHS Funding

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-8813 by Susan Deacon on 14 September 2000, how the remainder of £135 million end of year balance was applied to Executive-wide, health-related projects; what these projects were, and what funding was allocated to each.

Susan Deacon: Of the £135 million carried forward under the end year flexibility arrangements from 1999-2000, £101 million has been allocated to health boards and Trusts or has been earmarked to meet slippage in the capital programme. As announced by the Deputy First Minister on 3 July, the remaining £34 million, which was the health budget’s contribution to the Scottish Executive contingency reserve, was guaranteed by the Cabinet to be used for health-related spending. Of this £34 million, we have already announced £10 million for local authorities to help reduce the number of delayed discharges from hospitals into the community; £4.5 million will be used to address the health-related needs of rough sleepers and, as I announced on 5 October, a further £5 million will be used to buy more aids and adaptations to help the elderly to live at home in the community. The remaining £14.5 million will also be used to improve care for elderly people.

Non-Departmental Public Bodies

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is open to non-departmental public bodies to raise actions of judicial review against it and, if so, on what grounds and whether it will provide details of any such actions ever raised.

Angus MacKay: There is no rule of law which would prevent a non-departmental public body raising an action of judicial review against the Scottish Executive, nor are any of the usual grounds for judicial review not available to such a body. There has not to date been any instance of a non-departmental public body raising an action of judicial review against the Executive.

Rail Network

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will be its practice to publish any directions and guidance which it will issue to the Strategic Rail Authority and place a copy in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Sarah Boyack: Yes.

Residential Care

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what recourse an individual has in terms of the Social Work (Scotland) Act 1968 sections 1, 12, 12A and 13A if a local authority delays providing permanent care in a nursing home once that individual has been assessed as requiring such care.

Malcolm Chisholm: If an individual believes that a council is not meeting any of its obligations adequately, he or she can pursue the matter through the local authority’s complaints procedure with the council’s Monitoring Officer or the Local Government Ombudsman, or ultimately through the courts if he or she believes that the council is not meeting its statutory obligations.

Rural Affairs

Alex Johnstone (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive,  further to the answer to question S1W-10393 by Ross Finnie on 30 October 2000, why it is not planning an initiative along the lines of the Rural Stress Action Plan recently launched by the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

Ross Finnie: There are already many activities under way to offer advice and support to sufferers of stress and their families across Scotland, including in rural areas. For example, the Executive provides funding to Stresswatch Scotland to carry out such services across Scotland. We are also in regular contact with other bodies involved in providing similar services, and are aware, for example, that many health boards in rural areas are involved in activities to offer support to those suffering stress and other emotional and mental health problems. Given the range of activities already under way, we do not consider that a further initiative targeting stress in rural areas is required at this time.